Amanda Edwards

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Amanda Edwards
Member of the Houston City Council
from the at-large district
Position 4
In office
January 2, 2016 – January 2, 2020
Succeeded byLetitia Plummer
Personal details
Born1981 or 1982 (age 42–43)[1]
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationEmory University (BA)
Harvard University (JD)

Amanda Edwards (born 1981 or 1982) is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Houston City Council. She was a candidate for the 2020 United States Senate election in Texas, in which she placed fifth in the Democratic primary.[2] She later briefly ran for mayor of Houston before dropping out to run for a seat in the U.S. House; she has stated that she intended to remain a candidate even after the incumbent, Sheila Jackson Lee, announced her intention to run for re-election.[3][4]

Education and early career[edit]

Edwards was born and raised in Houston. After graduating from Eisenhower High School, she continued on to Emory University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While at Emory, Edwards served as president of the undergraduate student body and was later inducted into the Emory University Hall of Fame.[5] She also spent her time at Emory assisting Georgia State Senator Connie Stokes. After graduating from Emory, Edwards moved to Washington D.C. and began working for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

From here, she went on to attain a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. Edwards became a Criminal Justice Institute student attorney. She was also recognized with the Elaine Osborne Jacobson Award for her work in supporting underserved communities in healthcare law.[5] This was in addition to her duties as the Co-Chair of the Harvard Black Law Students Association Spring Conference.

After graduation, her interest in public service led Edwards to relocate to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, where she served as a judicial law clerk for Federal District Court Judge Ivan Lemelle. While in New Orleans, Edwards founded Project NOW: The New Orleans Writing Project to teach New Orleans Youth use writing as a tool of empowerment after Hurricane Katrina.[6]

Ultimately, Edwards returned to Houston, where she practiced as a municipal finance attorney. She has focused primarily on public finance, in which she assists in bond issuances, government partnerships, non-profit organizations, and community-development organizations.[5]

Public office[edit]

Houston City Council[edit]

Edwards ran for Houston City Council in 2015 for At-Large Position 4 and won, succeeding C.O. Bradford. In the runoff, she received more votes than anyone in the municipal election, including the mayor, Sylvester Turner. During her tenure, Edwards served on the Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure Committee and the Economic Development Committee; additionally, she was the Vice Chair of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee.[7]

In the spring of 2016, Edwards authored an amendment for the city's annual budget process to create a task force for innovation and technology.[8] She helped lead the efforts of the Task Force, which recommended, among other things, the creation of an innovation district.[9][10] This new site, The Ion, will support the business district and accelerate investment in innovative technologies.[11] She also pushed efforts for the City of Houston to commence smart city planning.

In addition to her work to support the innovation economy, Edwards initiated the creation of and led the Women- and Minority-Owned Business Task Force to identify ways to increase access to capital for women- and minority-owned businesses.[12][13]

Edwards also served as the Co-Vice Chair of the High-Capacity Transit Task Force (a group organized under the Houston-Galveston Area Council) where she advocated for high capacity transit options for the 8 county Houston-Galveston region. This was alongside her proposal for the addition of light rail and rapid transit options to ease congestion on Houston's highways.[14]

While on the Houston City Council, Edwards continued in disaster relief efforts after Houston was struck by Hurricane Harvey. She mobilized hundreds of volunteers to assist Harvey survivors by connecting them with help for flood damage, providing emergency supplies, case management and more.[15]

Edwards launched the Council Member Edwards’ Community Empowerment Signature Series to empower Houstonians to “be the solution” with respect to issues impacting their respective communities.[7] This series provided programmatic opportunities ranging from senior conferences to film screenings and townhalls that served to educate, empower, and equip members of the community with the tools and the drive necessary for enacting positive change.[16][17][18]

Edwards declined to run for another term in order to run for the US Senate.[2]

2020 U.S. Senate race[edit]

Main article: 2020 United States Senate election in Texas

In 2020, Edwards announced that she was running for John Cornyn's US Senate seat in the 2020 United States Senate election in Texas. After announcing, she was identified by local media as one of the seven candidates to watch, along with Chris Bell, Annie Garcia, MJ Hegar, Sema Hernandez, Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, and Royce West[2] in a crowded race of 12 total declared candidates.

Edwards ran as a moderate Democrat.[19] Coming in fifth place in the Democratic primary, she did not qualify for the runoff election.[20]

She endorsed West in the runoff.[21]

2023 Houston mayoral race and 2024 U.S. House race[edit]

Edwards briefly ran for mayor of Houston before dropping out in 2023 to run for a seat in the U.S. House; she has stated that she intended to remain a candidate even after the incumbent, Sheila Jackson Lee, announced her intention to run for re-election.[3][4]

Personal life[edit]

Amanda Edwards is the founder of a nonprofit called 'Be The Solution: a community empowerment organization' that effectively advocates and empowers various groups ranging from senior citizens to women. Amanda serves on the advisory council of Accelerator for America and has served on the Board of Directors for National League of Cities to Houston Exponential;[22] and Project Row Houses.

Edwards is a member of the Houston Chapter of The Links;[23] and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.[24] She is Catholic.[25]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Govindaro, Sejal (February 19, 2024). "After bruising loss in Houston mayoral race, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee faces her toughest reelection yet". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Amanda Edwards Ballotpedia". Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Svitek, Patrick (December 11, 2023). "Sheila Jackson Lee files for reelection for U.S. House seat after losing in mayoral race". Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee gears up for Congressional race against Amanda Edwards". Fox 26 Houston. December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Truman National Security Project". Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  6. ^ "Houston Councilwoman Amanda Edwards announces run for U.S. Senate". July 18, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Amanda Edwards, Texas Open Innovation".
  8. ^ "Amanda Edwards: Developing Houston's Innovation Economy Through Inclusion".
  9. ^ "Former Midtown Sears Site To Be Houston 'Innovation District'". April 12, 2018.
  10. ^ "Historic Midtown Sears Building to Anchor Houston Innovation District". Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  11. ^ "The Ion: The Place Where Venture Capitalists Will Come To Find Houston's Next Promising Startup".
  12. ^ "NAWBO Leaders Appointed to City Of Houston Women and Minority Business Task Force".
  13. ^ "Special Announcement May 30, 2018". Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  14. ^ "What Future Transit Options Does Houston Need?". February 12, 2019.
  15. ^ "A month later, some northeast Houston residents still haven't cleaned their flooded homes".
  16. ^ "Aldine ISD Alumna, City Council Member Amanda Edwards Launches Community Empowerment Signature Series".
  17. ^ "The Empowered You: Houston Senior Citizens Conference". November 13, 2018.
  18. ^ "Empowering #UsToo Igniting Change In The Next Generation of Young Men & Women to Stop Sexual Assault, Harassment & Misconduct" (PDF).
  19. ^ "Using the power of people, Amanda Edwards seeks to jump from Houston City Council to U.S. Senate". December 31, 2019.
  20. ^ "Texas Senate Primary Election Results". The New York Times. March 3, 2020.
  21. ^ "Former Houston city council member Amanda Edwards backs Royce West for U.S. Senate". May 8, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  22. ^ "Houston Exponential Governing Board".
  23. ^ "Houston Chapter of The Links Chapter Members".
  24. ^ "AKA Council Member Runs to Become First Black Senator From Texas".
  25. ^ Freeman, Annita (December 11, 2023). "Sheila Jackson Lee preparing for race against former At-Large City Council member Amanda Edwards". FOX 26 Houston. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
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